Such low CO2 figures are normally only achieved by diesel powered cars, which command a price premium, so new Nissan Micra will deliver low emissions, but without the usual price penalty. The supercharged version will be introduced in Europe from spring 2011. Such is the efficiency of these new petrol engines that new Nissan Micra will not be offered with a diesel option. CO2 emissions, meanwhile, tumble to just 95 g/km.

This is a direct injection gasoline engine with a supercharger to boost power to 72kW (98PS). But even this is overshadowed by the second version. The entry-level version is a normally aspirated entry-level 59kW (80PS) unit which produces an impressively low 115 g/km of CO2. A pair of brand new three-cylinder petrol engines displacing 1.2-litres power new Micra. For this reason, Nissan Micra was conceived, from its design, engineering, powertrain and equipment levels, to make European city driving as stress-free as possible, but also to remain accessible.

The European city car segment is one of the most hotly contested segments in any market in the world. The all-new Nissan Micra - the fourth generation to wear the name - represents an entirely new chapter in the history of Nissan's multi-award winning compact city car.